New psychiatrist is dialing back diagnosis of bipolar w/psychotic features to “protect” teen.
My teen family member has been diagnosed multiple times over the past 5 years with bipolar disorder with psychotic features, chronic, severe. These diagnoses came from psychiatrists at 10+ inpatient stays, as well as from their previous psychiatrist who they’d had for years but recently retired.
Their new psychiatrist is dialing back the diagnosis to protect them. That’s the doctor’s exact words, protect. The new diagnosis is now DMDD: Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.
Teen is still on lithium and monthly aripiprazole shot. During monthly appointments with new doctor teen is still being referred to as having distinct hypomanic and manic episodes, doc mentioned cycle seems to be about every three months.
We don’t understand why the new psychiatrist is acknowledging the symptoms, and providing that medication while dialing back the actual diagnosis on official documentation.
If anything, wouldn’t a step down be called unspecified mood disorder, instead of DMDD?
Family is concerned this doctor may cause issues for future care by naming it incorrectly for “protection” reasons.
Are our concerns for accurate diagnosis valid?
Is the psychiatrist doing the right thing?